President Prabowo’s Visit to India Produces Various Strategic Agreements
By: Hutama Putra )*
President Prabowo Subianto’s visit to India is an important momentum to strengthen strategic synergy at the regional and global levels. As two large democracies in Asia, the relationship between Indonesia and India has strategic value not only for the two countries but also for the stability and progress of the Indo-Pacific region. This visit confirms Indonesia’s position as a country with an important role in promoting regional stability, in line with its membership in ASEAN and various other international organizations. This close cooperation shows the seriousness of the two countries in creating a safe, stable, and prosperous regional order.
In his meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Prabowo Subianto emphasized the importance of closer cooperation in the field of maritime security. Given the strategic positions of the two countries in the Indian Ocean and South China Sea regions, maritime security is a central issue in bilateral discussions. This security is not only related to preventing traditional threats such as piracy, but also concerns the stability of the global supply chain which is highly dependent on the waterways that cross the two countries.
In discussions with the Indian Prime Minister, India expressed its readiness to share technology and knowledge to strengthen Indonesia’s capabilities in maritime security. This step is considered important to face increasingly complex geopolitical challenges, including maintaining freedom of navigation in strategic waters.
In addition to security issues, the two countries are also committed to expanding collaboration in the renewable energy sector. With large populations and increasing energy needs, Indonesia and India face similar challenges in ensuring sustainable energy availability. India offers its experience and expertise in developing solar and wind energy to support Indonesia’s ongoing energy transition agenda.
This collaboration is expected to reduce dependence on fossil fuels while strengthening the energy security of each country. Renewable energy projects explored by the two countries include the development of solar power plants in rural and remote areas in Indonesia.
In the economic sector, trade relations between the two countries have shown a positive trend. Prime Minister Modi noted that the volume of bilateral trade last year reached a significant figure of 30 billion US dollars. India and Indonesia agreed to expand trade diversification, including opening market access for each country’s superior products. For Indonesia, this is a great opportunity to increase exports of strategic commodities such as palm oil, coal, and other mineral products. In this regard, President Prabowo emphasized the importance of strengthening mutually beneficial supply chains between the two countries.
Not only trade, India has also shown great interest in increasing its investment in Indonesia. The Indonesian government, under the leadership of President Prabowo, has paid serious attention to efforts to attract foreign investment through simplifying regulations and developing large-scale infrastructure projects.
One of the flagship projects that has attracted India’s attention is the development of the Indonesian Capital City (IKN). Prime Minister Modi said that India is ready to actively participate in the IKN development project, including supporting the digital technology sector which is a shared priority. This investment is expected to accelerate the development of strategic infrastructure while encouraging economic growth in new regions.
Cooperation in the defense sector is also a main focus of this visit. With the ratification of the defense cooperation agreement between the two countries, Indonesia and India have agreed to strengthen the manufacturing and supply chain of the defense industry. This collaboration includes joint training, technology transfer, and research development in the defense sector.
President Prabowo emphasized that this cooperation is a strategic step to ensure national sovereignty and security stability amidst increasingly complex geopolitical dynamics. In this regard, India offers advanced defense technology that can help strengthen Indonesia’s military capabilities.
The visit also highlighted the importance of cultural cooperation as an element that strengthens bilateral relations. Indonesian Minister of Culture, Fadli Zon, who accompanied President Prabowo, emphasized that culture is a gateway to open up opportunities for collaboration in various other fields.
